Proven Leadership and Scientific Excellence

Phoreus Biotech’s leadership combines deep biotech business acumen with world-class scientific expertise. Our management and business development team has a strong track record of driving growth and innovation in the industry, while our scientists have authored numerous research publications and hold multiple patents—testaments to their commitment to discovery. This unique blend of experience ensures Phoreus is positioned not only to pioneer breakthrough technologies but also to effectively bring those innovations to market.

Our Team

David Schaefer

Chief Executive Officer
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David Schaefer

Chief Executive Officer

David has over 30 years of experience in biotechnology and healthcare, spanning diagnostics, medical devices, and therapies in infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology, and more. He has held leadership roles at Abbott Laboratories, Murex, and Ocean Optics, alongside start-up ventures like Nexan and Syntro. David has driven corporate investments, private equity transactions, and the growth of disruptive healthcare technologies. He has also consulted with Booz Allen & Hamilton and sponsored groundbreaking clinical studies in HIV resistance, sleep medicine, heart failure, and neuromuscular disorders. David holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and Biotech from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Dr. Scott Rowlinson

Chief Scientific Officer
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Dr. Scott Rowlinson

Chief Scientific Officer

David has over 30 years of experience in biotechnology and healthcare, spanning diagnostics, medical devices, and therapies in infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology, and more. He has held leadership roles at Abbott Laboratories, Murex, and Ocean Optics, alongside start-up ventures like Nexan and Syntro. David has driven corporate investments, private equity transactions, and the growth of disruptive healthcare technologies. He has also consulted with Booz Allen & Hamilton and sponsored groundbreaking clinical studies in HIV resistance, sleep medicine, heart failure, and neuromuscular disorders. David holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and Biotech from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Brian Tosh

Director, Marketing & Business Development
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Brian Tosh

Director, Marketing & Business Development

Brian is a seasoned marketing and business development professional with over 15 years of experience in healthcare revenue and biotech industries. He holds a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism with a Public Relations focus from Kansas State University. Brian has spearheaded comprehensive marketing initiatives, managed public relations efforts, and crafted brand strategies. His expertise in driving impactful marketing campaigns and building strategic relationships with pharmaceutical collaborators has been instrumental in advancing Phoreus’ mission over the past seven years. A results-driven leader, Brian consistently aligns innovative marketing strategies with business growth objectives.

Dr. Takeo Iwamoto, PhD

Senior Director of Product Development
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Dr. Takeo Iwamoto, PhD

Senior Director of Product Development

Dr. Takeo Iwamoto holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and a PhD in biological engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology. He served as a professor at Jikei University School of Medicine, specializing in Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy. Over three decades, he has collaborated with Professor John Tomich from Kansas State University, co-authoring 31 research papers and securing seven patents. Dr. Iwamoto’s research focuses on drug screening for rare diseases, utilizing patient-induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells with FDA-approved drugs in Japan. His work aims to advance innovative therapies and improve treatment options for rare diseases.

Dr. Walid Maaty, PhD

Director of Manufacturing and Laboratory Operations
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Dr. Walid Maaty, PhD

Director of Manufacturing and Laboratory Operations

Walid holds a BS in botany from Cairo University, an MS in microbial molecular biology from Mansoura University, and a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Wyoming. He has worked at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Montana State University’s Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry facility, and the University of Kansas, specializing in mass spectrometry applications. Before joining Phoreus, Walid gained experience at Quest Diagnostics, Merck Animal Health (Vaccines), and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. He brings expertise in vaccine development, mass spectrometry, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and cell biology to the Phoreus team, enhancing its research and development capabilities.

Board of Directors

Lynn Rundle

Chairman of the Board
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Lynn Rundle

Chairman of the Board

Lynn Rundle is an accomplished agribusiness executive with expertise in startups, strategy, sales, operations, M&A, and business transformation. Known for his entrepreneurial mindset and leadership, he has a proven track record of building and scaling successful agricultural businesses. Lynn serves as Chairman of the Board at Phoreus Biotechnology and previously held roles as CEO & Chairman of J&J Family of Farms and Operating Partner at Sequel Holdings. He founded and led 21st Century Grain Processing, a specialty grain-based ingredient manufacturer, from its inception in 1997 to its successful sale in 2010. Lynn has also created and advised numerous agribusiness ventures, working closely with producer associations. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agriculture Education from Kansas State University.

Brad Holliday

Board Member
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Brad Holliday

Board Member

Brad Holliday is a dynamic leader with 25 years of experience in human capital strategy, spanning startups to Fortune 500 companies, including a top North American non-profit. Specializing in healthcare, consulting, and technology, he has led HR initiatives for a Fortune 75 organization, managing a $24.5M HR budget and driving improvements in profitability, innovation, and productivity. Brad holds degrees from the University of Michigan’s Human Resources Executive Program, Baker College in Business Administration, and a BS in Human Resources Management from Friends University. His expertise lies in optimizing organizational performance through strategic HR leadership.

Dr. Nathan Singh, MD, MS

Scientific Advisor & Board Member
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Dr. Nathan Singh, MD, MS

Scientific Advisor & Board Member

Dr. Nathan Singh is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Oncology, at Washington University School of Medicine. Nathan grew up in Pittsburgh and went to Haverford College near Philadelphia. After college, Nathan started his life-long journey in cellular therapy as a tech in Carl June’s lab, and then stayed at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine for medical school, residency, fellowship in hematology/oncology, and a post-doc in the June Lab.

Dr. Raj Pannu, PhD

Scientific Advisor & Board Member
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Dr. Raj Pannu, PhD

Scientific Advisor & Board Member

Raj is the Founder and CEO of Emergence Creative and former Director of Global Health at McCann Health. A behavior change expert, he has advised governments, NGOs, and corporations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and Coca-Cola on global health and sustainability initiatives. He served on the UN Essential Medicines Working Group and spoke at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Northwestern. Raj holds an MS in Immunology and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta. His groundbreaking research on poxvirus entry, published in Science, earned him a 1999 award for AIDS research. Based in New York City, Raj specializes in applying private-sector strategies to public health challenges.

Matthew Tomich

Board Member
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Matthew Tomich

Board Member

Matt Tomich is President of Energy Vision, a nonprofit focused on advancing renewable natural gas (RNG) in North America. With a decade of experience, he specializes in researching alternative fuels, particularly RNG produced from organic waste for heat, power, and vehicle fuel. His work spans technology, economics, and policy, with a focus on RNG initiatives in dairy, landfill gas, wastewater treatment, and heavy-duty transportation sectors. Matt’s expertise includes outreach and analysis to drive sustainable energy solutions across the U.S. and Canada.

Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Scott Nagely, MD

Scientific Advisor
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Dr. Scott Nagely, MD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Scott W. Nagely is an emergency medicine physician in Vail, Colorado and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area. He received his medical degree from University of Kansas School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. Nagely specializes in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics.

Dr. Nathan Singh, MD, MS

Scientific Advisor & Board Member
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Dr. Nathan Singh, MD, MS

Scientific Advisor & Board Member

Dr. Nathan Singh is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Oncology, at Washington University School of Medicine. Nathan grew up in Pittsburgh and went to Haverford College near Philadelphia. After college, Nathan started his life-long journey in cellular therapy as a tech in Carl June’s lab, and then stayed at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine for medical school, residency, fellowship in hematology/oncology, and a post-doc in the June Lab.

Dr. Raj Pannu, PhD

Scientific Advisor & Board Member
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Dr. Raj Pannu, PhD

Scientific Advisor & Board Member

Raj is the Founder and CEO of Emergence Creative and former Director of Global Health at McCann Health. A behavior change expert, he has advised governments, NGOs, and corporations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and Coca-Cola on global health and sustainability initiatives. He served on the UN Essential Medicines Working Group and spoke at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Northwestern. Raj holds an MS in Immunology and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta. His groundbreaking research on poxvirus entry, published in Science, earned him a 1999 award for AIDS research. Based in New York City, Raj specializes in applying private-sector strategies to public health challenges.

Dr. Samuel W. Tomich, MD

Scientific Advisor
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Dr. Samuel W. Tomich, MD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Samuel Tomich, MD is a board-certified internist in Los Angeles, California. He graduated with honors in 2019 from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He is currently affiliated with Torrance Memorial Medical Center.

Dr. Doug Shane, DVM

Scientific Advisor
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Dr. Doug Shane, DVM

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Douglas Shane holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Production Medicine and Epidemiology from Kansas State University. He has experience working in private mixed animal veterinary practice and has several years of experience working in research and development in the animal health industry. He is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor at Kansas State University.

Dr. John Tomich, PhD

Scientific Advisor
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Dr. John Tomich, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. John Tomich is a professor emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and the former Director of the Biotechnology/Proteomics Core Facility at Kansas State University. The Tomich laboratory designed and characterized synthetic peptides for potential uses as drugs or renewable biomaterials. Dr. Tomich holds the patent for Branched Amphipathic Oligo-Peptides that Self-Assemble into Vesicles.

Steve Schram

Advisor, Animal Health
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Steve Schram

Advisor, Animal Health

Steve is a seasoned CEO with 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biologics industry. He served as CEO of AgriLabs, where he led acquisitions, co-founded VaxLiant, and secured licensing deals for domestic and international product launches. Under his leadership, AgriLabs developed patented adjuvant technology for DNA vaccines and achieved a successful exit with its sale to Huvepharma in 2017. Earlier, Steve was VP of Sales and Marketing for Norbrook Americas and held various roles at Syntex Animal Health. Skilled in go-to-market strategies, business development, and R&D investments, he has a proven track record in driving growth and innovation in veterinary pharmaceuticals and biologics for the North American market.

Partners

Phoreus collaborates with leading institutions in academia and industry to identify new disease targets and develop carrier formulations. These partnerships support efficient research and development, driving the advancement of next-generation therapeutics. By working closely with experts across sectors, Phoreus aims to accelerate translational progress and bring innovative solutions to market.

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